Thomas's Shortcut
by TheStationmaster
Summary: Thomas decides to find a shortcut of his own.
**Another Thomas rewrite, this time it's "Thomas's Shortcut" from Season 17, with added lines by tate310. Enjoy and comment.**

It was a sunny day on the Island of Sodor, and all the engines were working hard.

Thomas was pulling his coaches Annie and Clarabel down his branch line, when they saw Bertie.

"Hello old slowcoach!" tooted Bertie.

Thomas was surprised. Bertie never called him slow.

"How rude!" huffed Thomas as he puffed along.

Thomas puffed into the station, two minutes early.

Bertie came over to see Thomas.

"Good thing I hurried you, or else you would have been late!"

"That's not true!" replied Thomas. "I'm really useful and always on time!"

"But you're getting old and slow. Twice this week, I beat you here."

"I'm not old and slow!"

Just then, an idea flew into Thomas's funnel.

"Let's have another race, to prove who's the fastest!"

Both drivers agreed to the race going on.

Then, the conductor blew his whistle, and the race began!  
Thomas and Bertie both thought that racing was great fun!

But this time, Bertie raced in front, especially after sheep crossed the line, making Thomas have to wait.

And this time, Bertie won the race.

"Looks like I'm the fastest of them all!" exclaimed Bertie.

Thomas was confused. Why was Bertie so fast?

Later that day, Thomas saw Bertie again.

"I have a secret to tell you." whispered Bertie.

"What is it?" replied Thomas.

"I've been re-routed. Now, I have a shortcut which is much quicker."

Thomas was curious and surprised. He didn't know about Bertie's shortcut.

That night, Thomas was very cross.

"It's not fair!" he groaned to the other engines. "I like racing Bertie, but now he's been re-routed!"

"What does "re-routed" mean?" asked Percy.

"It means that someone is going a different way." replied Edward.

"What's wrong with that Thomas?"

"Bertie is taking a shortcut now, so he always beats me." sighed Thomas.

Then, an idea flew into Percy's funnel.

"Well, maybe you should have a shortcut too!"

Thomas thought that this was an excellent idea!

The next morning, Thomas was picking up passengers at Knapford Station.

His coaches, Annie and Clarabel, didn't agree with Percy's idea.

"There's no shortcut on your branch line Thomas." said Annie.

"And if you go another way, you'll miss a station." added in Clarabel.

But Thomas was determined to find a shortcut.

Thomas arrived at Dryaw Station, just as Bertie arrived.

But Thomas wanted to show Bertie once and for all, that he was faster than him.

And as soon as the conductor blew his whistle, Thomas set off at warp speed.

Thomas then came to a junction, and noticed a shortcut.

"This must be it!" tooted Thomas.

And so Thomas took the shortcut.

But it only looped around to his branch line.

"Bother!" exclaimed Thomas.

Then, Thomas saw another shortcut.

"This must be the one!"

"We don't think so, we don't think so!" exclaimed Annie and Clarabel.

The shortcut led to an old goods-yard.

"This isn't a shortcut either!" exclaimed Thomas.

The passengers were crosser than ever, but Thomas was still determined to find a shortcut.

Then, he spotted another shortcut, that led into the woods.

"This is definitely the shortcut!"

So Thomas took the shortcut.

Meanwhile, Bertie was waiting at the level crossing for Thomas.

His passengers were cross as well, and Bertie's driver was tired of waiting, so Bertie drove away.

Thomas puffed his way through the overgrown track.

But then, it happened. Thomas hit a wooden buffer, and derailed!

The passengers weren't hurt, but they were even more cross.

Then, Bertie arrived.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I took a shortcut, but I derailed. Now my passengers are going to be late."

"I can take your passengers." said Bertie.

Thomas was delighted.

Harvey arrived late that afternoon to lift Thomas back onto the rails again.

Thomas felt relieved, but was still nervous about what Sir Topham Hatt would say to him.

And soon enough, Sir Topham Hatt arrived. He was very cross indeed.

"You have caused confusion and delay!" he boomed. "You should have known better not to take the shortcut!"

"I'm really sorry sir. I promise from now on, I will stick to my branchline!"

Thomas was soon mended, and within a few days, he was back on the rails.

He had decided never to take any more shortcuts, and stick to his branchline.

But sometimes, Thomas and Bertie still race, and often. Thomas wins.


End file.
